legalI have a company, let’s call it A. I have another company, let’s call it B. A is the overlapping name for a few companies I had but I stopped with. The only company I have now is B, but the official name is A (B is a trade name). So do I have to place ‘B is a division of A’ on my website? Is it required?
While this might seem like a straight forward question, the requirements vary significantly depending on the location.
Different governments have set up various regulations around the registration and use of a DBA/trade name/fictitious name in order to help protect the general public and prevent fraud.
Often all that is required is to register the fictitious name with the applicable governing body so that if someone needs to sue you (or whatever) they can track down the legal name.
In some parts of Canada you are required to use the DBA & legal name both on any contracts, invoices, etc.
My understanding of this document (particularly applicable is chapter 10 point 5) is that you would be required in the UK to display the legal name on the website.
In California, there is a requirement to publish your legal name and DBA in a local paper at least once a week for four weeks after registering your DBA with the county.
Obviously these examples won't all apply to you (unless your business happens to be operating in California, Ontario, and the UK...). But they stand to make a point: For you or anyone else that finds themselves asking this question, regulations need to be checked at all levels of government because these things are handled differently by federal, state/province, county, and city governmental bodies.
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